Wood grain considerations?

You go to the lumber yard to pick some wood to make a rifle stock, what should you look for-or beware of- in selecting grain. Too, there are apparently a lot of guys selling 'stocks', or blanks-any caveats there? Do different kinds of wood have differing considerations? I referring here to 'normal' woods, not some of the 'exotics' that one could use.

No knots.
No worm holes.
No sapwood.
Tight grain.
Unusual grain patterns in the area that will be the butt of the stock.
"Quarter Sawed" rather than "Plain Sawed". (The seller should know the difference).

A good stock blank will have the long axis of the blank cut at about 10 degrees to the direction of the grain. This allows the grain of the wood to run parallel with the angle of the wrist rather than parallel with the barrel.

Deal with a known wood supplier who understands the requirements of a longrifle.

Yes, you see way too many guns with musket grain in the wrist area. I always visualize the stock breaking there when the proud new owner leans a little too hard on the gun while trying to seat a too tight patch and ball.

If it's maple, it's going to be almost all sapwood. Slab sawn is fine.

Yes, hard, tight grain. The heavier, the better. I like it where I can get a fair amount of grain running through the wrist. I can usually cock my pattern around to where it will be the way I want it.

Yea, I got two roughed out of a big slab of maple I've lugged around for 30 yrs. I have two Remington shotguns, an 1899 and 1894, with broken or cracked wrists. Back then, they just 'fixed' them. One has 4 brass strips inletted into the wrist. I see all these pics of the beautiful tiger striped stocks and wondered about grain. There are, I guess, a few of us po' boys in the hills who have to 'roll our own'.

Hah! one time a few years ago, a guy had a Remington model 11 that the wood was coming apart in the wrist (common problem), and I repaired it best I could (the wood was soaked with oil...another common problem). It was previously nailed together. I asked the guy "who owned this gun before you, was it a dentist?" "yeah, how'd you know?" "because the wood was nailed together with old dental burrs!". :grin:

Ever wonder why most guys stack their rifles butt down. The oil runs into the stock, and the dirt collects down the barrel......

I have had some success at removing oil from such stocks by filling a container with acetone and letting the oil soaked stock soak for a week or so. It won't totally remove all the oil but most of the time it will get enough out for a decent glue bond. Also the best clamp I have found is surgical latex tubing. You can put a huge amount of pressure on a crack or split and not have to worry about damageing the wood.

You can steam or boil oil out of wood using a simple heat sorce.

Lately I've been hearing about folks using oven cleaner to degrease their old stocks and get the oil out of them. Don't know as I'd have the nerve to try that on a nice piece of wood.

Russ T Frizzen said:

Lately I've been hearing about folks using oven cleaner to degrease their old stocks and get the oil out of them. Don't know as I'd have the nerve to try that on a nice piece of wood.

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Right you are! Don't do it.

Yup, it strikes me as way to harsh. It may get the old oil out, but I'd be afraid it would take a lot of wood with it.

My first consideration is the grain flow thru the stock at the wrist area. I want the grain to curve down thru the wrist & stay parallel with the wrist if at all possible. Like this.



Second thing I look at is the top of the blank. I want it to be fairly straight from end to end if possible, and no runout at the lock & wrist area for sure.

Third thing I look for is the density. I want it hard & heavy, not soft or spongy or light.

Fourth thing I look for is the grain pattern & stripes, colors, & character.

Last thing I look for is the length & thickness & depth to determine the style of rifle the blank will make. If it is a Jaeger, you don't usually need the length of a TN or long Lancaster, but you do need thickness to get the butt to look correct. A TN stock blank can be much thinner but you may need more length.

But for me, first & foremost is always the grain flow thru the wrist. I don't want to put my time into a rifle even thinking the wrist may crack or break....... For me that would be devastating. :shake: Doesn't matter how pretty it is, if the wrist is breaks, it is still broken & the value of the rifle is reduced considerably.
:shocked2:

Never tried oven cleaner but I did once see an SMLE stock the a fellow had used chlorine bleach on and it turned the outer surface into a punky mess. I fear that oven cleaner may do the same.

Where did you find a piece like that? Guess I'm really wondering if you had to cull through a lot to get the curve,etc., you wanted?

I don't remember where I got it. I have allot of them similar to that one & some nicer than it. If I see some super ones, I am subject to buying 1 or 12 of them. I just can't leave good wood behind... ha ha ! :thumbsup: